In a split second, a car accident can leave you with significant injuries and change your life forever. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a collision, the Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers at Kelley | Uustal can help. Our attorneys understand what you are going through and are committed to doing everything in our power to help you recover from and secure justice for your injuries. Call (954) 522-6601 today to schedule your free and confidential consultation. We have someone available to speak with you 24/7.

Why Choose Kelley | Uustal for your Car Accident Case?

Florida’s No-Fault laws, mounting medical bills, missed time at work and dealings with insurance companies can make the aftermath of a car accident extremely difficult. The right car accident lawyer can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. What makes Kelley | Uustal the right choice to handle your claim?

Commitment – The first thing we tell clients is that we will put in the work, spend the time, and do whatever it takes to get justice for them. All of our attorneys have an internal drive to be the best and are willing to sacrifice for each and every client.

Experience – Our team has over 325 combined years of experience handling personal injury and car accident cases.

Results – We have secured more than $250 million dollars for our clients, including $50,000,000 for a former marine who suffered a serious neck injury in an automobile collision.

Forensic Discovery Methodology – We seek out evidence that most others overlook or miss, a process that can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing a difficult case. Our attorneys built this process over decades of trying and winning cases in the courtroom.

Trial Experience – Most car accident cases settle without ever going to trial. However, having an attorney with trial experience can compel insurance companies to treat you fairly and offer much larger settlements. In the event an insurance company refuses to treat you fairly, an attorney with trial experience can take them court and win. Our attorneys are trial trial tested and regularly go up against some of the largest corporations in the world.

Cost – We never charge a fee unless we successfully resolve your case. Our clients don’t pay us anything until they receive compensation for their injuries.

Founder partners Bob Kelley and John Uustal have worked for years to make sure they build a strong team of attorneys to represent those who need justice the most, putting clients before anything else. We will be there every step of the way, deal with the insurance company on your behalf, advise you on all settlement offers and take your case to trial, if necessary.

Do I need a Car Accident Lawyer?

Not every person involved in a car accident needs an attorney. Sometimes, minor crashes that involve property damage only – meaning there were no injuries – can be resolved without the help of an attorney. However, if you suffered serious injuries (or any injury that requires hospitalization or medical treatment), we recommend that you always speak with an attorney. In Florida, the insurance claim process is complex and difficult to navigate without an attorney. The right attorney can help cover medical bills, loss of income and many other expenses that come with recovering from a serious injury. Most importantly, insurance companies know when accident victims have legal counsel and are much more likely to deal with them fairly.

Types of Car Accidents in Fort Lauderdale

Motor vehicle collisions can occur in a multitude of different ways and for a number of different reasons. While some auto accidents happen due to severe weather, poor road conditions or vehicle malfunctions – the majority happen due to negligence. Some of the most common types include:

Head-on Collision

Rear-end Accidents

Fatal Accidents

Vehicle Roll over

Drunk Driving Accidents (DUI)

Parking lot accidents

Distracted Driving Accidents

Hit and Run

Vehicle Defect

Car Accident Statistics in Florida and Fort Lauderdale

In 2017, there were 401,014 motor vehicle collisions in the state of Florida. These crashes led to 253,763 injuries and 3,066 fatalities.

In the same year, there were 41,320 crashes, 24,782 injuries and 207 fatalities in Broward County.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I recently had a minor accident and was jarred a bit from impact. I feel fine, so why should I go to the expense of seeing a doctor?

Attorneys at any top accident law firm will tell you that often the injuries experienced in a car accident don’t make themselves apparent at first. You could feel fine, yet still have a concussion or other injuries, and you won’t know unless a physician checks you out.

Should I sign the insurer’s forms so they’ll pay my claim?

Call a Fort Lauderdale accident law firm before signing anything from the insurance company. They may well be shortchanging you, and your attorney can often negotiate a much better settlement on your behalf.

I think there may be video from a convenience store near the accident. Is this important enough to follow up?

If you believe your accident was caught on video, tell your attorney right away. Video is not always saved, and if there is video evidence, your attorney needs to obtain and see it to find out if there are factors involved in the accident that should be considered.

Why should I call a lawyer?

If you sign off on an insurance settlement without obtaining the advice of a car accident attorney first, you could make things worse later. It is better to take the time up front to consider all aspects of your accident, including the possibility of vehicle defects and road conditions so that you can get the best possible settlement. If you sign an inadequate settlement, you could experience medical complications later that will make it even harder to put the situation in the past.

Tips to Remember While Dealing With Insurance Companies

As if auto accidents themselves weren’t stressful enough, dealing with car insurance and health insurance companies tends to add to the stress after an accident. Their goals are clear: they want you to accept as little as possible as soon as possible. While it may seem caring for an insurer to contact you while you’re recovering, it is not your health they are concerned with, but their own.

Don’t Sign Anything Until You Speak With an Attorney: You could be asked to sign papers from the insurance company while you’re still recovering, and you should refuse to do so until after you have spoken with a Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer. Even if you do end up agreeing to their settlement it is still best if you have an attorney go over the documents thoroughly so that you fully understand what you’re signing.

The Other Driver May Not Be the Only Liable Party: If someone runs you off the road or hits you after running a stop sign, it’s pretty obvious who is at fault. However, there could be other liable parties, if, for example, a safety mechanism in your car fails to work properly. A defect in the vehicle of the liable driver could contribute to the severity of the accident too. A good attorney knows how to examine all possible contributors to the accident.

You Have the Right to Demand the Care You Need: Getting the medical care you need so you can get your life back is not being selfish. It is your right if you were injured because of the actions of others. Contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible after being injured so you can get the care you need.

Florida is a “No Fault” Auto Accident State: Florida is a “no fault” automobile liability state, and this limits your ability to bring suit against another driver after an accident. Your automobile policy must take care of medical bills for you and those riding with you even if someone else caused the accident. But that doesn’t mean a Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney is of no help. A lawyer with experience in car accident cases can work with your insurer to help maximize your settlement.

Required Automobile Insurance Coverage in Florida: In Florida, you have to carry at least $10,000 in liability coverage for one individual injured in an accident, $20,000 in maximum liability coverage for each accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability per vehicle. It’s obvious why you want to get the maximum settlement after an accident.

What to do After a Car Crash

The steps you take immediately after a car accident can improve (or diminish) your chances of making a financial recovery. The following information is designed by our Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorneys to help you understand common problems that car accident victims face and how you can avoid them. Additionally, this information can help you prepare for an accident claim or personal injury lawsuit, should you decide to seek financial compensation for your injuries and other damages.

Check for injuries and look around for anyone who may need help.

Call the police.

Call for paramedics if necessary.

If you have or suspect an injury, see a doctor.

When you have a chance, write down how each vehicle was damaged.

Try to get the names, the addresses and the driver’s license numbers of the drivers, passengers and witnesses involved in the accident.

Take pictures of car damage, skid marks on the road or other obvious injuries

Write down a description of the other vehicles and license plate numbers.

Notify your insurance agent about the accident.

Don’t sign any document and don’t give any statement except for the police.

Contact an auto accident attorney at Kelley | Uustal

If the police arrive, answer the officer’s questions honestly and concisely, but be careful of the words you use. The police or insurer may interpret something as harmless as “I’m sorry” as an admission of guilt, when all you meant to convey was that you were sorry the incident happened. The police will interview the people involved, and you should exchange your insurance and contact information with the other drivers. After the police wrap up the scene and you’ve been given the go-ahead to leave, visit your doctor for a medical examination, even if you don’t believe you suffered serious injuries.

Many injuries may not manifest immediate symptoms, and some seemingly slight injuries could actually indicate something more serious. Your doctor will be able to assess your condition and provide a medical report of your injuries, their possible long-term effects, and your treatment plan. This medical report and the police report from the accident will be invaluable for building a lawsuit against a negligent driver.

Why Fort Lauderdale Has a Higher Accident Risk

Drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely, obey all posted traffic signs and use their best judgment while on the road. While some auto accidents happen due to severe weather, poor road conditions or vehicle malfunctions – the majority happen due to negligence.

Fort Lauderdale drivers face a few unique issues on the road compared to drivers in other parts of the country. The Fort Lauderdale area is more than 35 square miles with a population density of roughly 4,700 residents per square mile, according to 2010 Census data. The area is very flat with streets arranged in a grid system and, while this type of metropolitan area would seem perfectly fit for alternative transportation options, more than 80% of Fort Lauderdale commuters drive their own vehicles to work. This creates an incredible amount of traffic congestion, making it more common to see an auto accident and car wrecks.

The large, dense population and high percentage of commuters who use personal vehicles also takes a toll on the area’s infrastructure. Road conditions suffer when resources are spread thin over a large and well-traveled area. Fort Lauderdale’s roads, weather, population, as well as other trends concerning driver habits, should encourage drivers to stay safe on the road by taking these potential dangers into account that could result in automobile collisions.

What if Your Neck Was Injured After a Car Crash?

It may surprise you to learn that neck pain often originates in areas other than the neck. Injuries to the head and upper back can result in muscular tightness in the neck, or the pinching of nerves in the neck’s vertebrae.

Neck injuries like whiplash are very common after automobile accidents, but every case is different. Whereas one person may heal quickly with no lasting effects, neck injuries can be debilitating and cause chronic pain.

Complications of Whiplash

Whiplash injuries, which are the most common injuries reported after auto accidents, result in more than just neck pain. Complications from whiplash may include:

Headache

Dizziness

Ringing in the ears

Difficulty concentrating

Problems with the temporomandibular joint (jaw)

Blurred vision

Weakness, numbness, and tingling in arms and hands

These symptoms may not emerge until well after an accident. If you are now experiencing symptoms of whiplash after an automobile accident, do not hesitate to contact our Fort Lauderdale injury attorneys at Kelley | Uustal for legal representation.

When Are Drivers liable?

In some car accidents, there is a party that can be held liable for compensating an injured person. Liability can result from:

A driver driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Speeding or other reckless vehicle operation

A driver failing to observe traffic lights or signs

Drivers operating a vehicle while distracted (by talking on a phone, for example)

A driver falling asleep behind the wheel

After a personal injury, it is important for medical attention to be summoned, and for police to be called so that the details of the accident can be documented as completely as possible.

What to do after losing a loved one in an auto accident?

Car crash deaths have been decreasing over the years due to factors like enhanced car safety features, increased seat belt use, airbags in cars, and more aggressive prosecution of drunk drivers. However, in 2009, over 30,000 people lost their lives in catastrophic automobile accidents including motorcycle accidents.

Of these, over 17,000 victims were drivers, and nearly 7,000 victims were passengers. Motorcyclists accounted for nearly 4,500 fatalities, while pedestrians accounted for nearly 4,100 deaths, and bicycle riders made up over 600 of the fatalities.

Litigation for Fatal Car Accidents

Each state has different laws, but legal claims after fatal car accidents have several features in common:

Police involvement and official records of the accident

A driver being found at fault and accident cause identified

Insurance companies that aggressively try to protect themselves from liability

Experienced attorneys who work with independent experts to reconstruct the accident and establish the cause of death

Successful Wrongful Death Claim After a Car Wreck

The accident must be caused by someone other than the victim. That may be the driver of the car the deceased person was riding in, or the driver of another car. The other person must have been acting negligently by driving poorly, or else a defective automobile design can be proved.

There must be enough assets for a recoverable legal claim. Sadly, many car accident deaths that clearly result from negligent driving go uncompensated because there simply is no money or assets with which to compensate the victim’s family. Successful attorneys in wrongful death cases are skilled at finding assets in the form of homeowner’s insurance policies or business policies.

What to Expect After a Fatal Car Collision

In most cases of fatal car accidents, the employer or insurance company representing the party at fault immediately begins a plan to defend the insured or the employee who was at fault. If your loved one was the victim of a fatal car accident, the insurance company representing the party at fault is not interested in compensating you. Immediate investigation by an experienced wrongful death attorney is essential to countering the actions of the other party’s employer or insurance company.

Proving Negligence

Vehicle collisions that lead to civil claims fall under the purview of personal injury law, and personal injury law hinges on the legal concept of negligence. To prove negligence, an injured plaintiff must demonstrate:

The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty to act with reasonable care.

This could include following posted speed limits, signaling for a lane change, or yielding the right of way.

The defendant breached this duty in some way.

This may include texting while driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or speeding.

The plaintiff’s injuries were the direct result of the defendant’s breach of duty.

Plaintiffs can only recover compensation if they sustain injury or property damage. If you suffered no actual harm, you have no claim.

The statute of limitations – or legal time limit for filing – a personal injury lawsuit for an automobile accident is generally two years from the date of the incident. However, if your injuries from the incident did not manifest until later, the statute of limitations begins on the “date of discovery,” or the date you realized you were injured.

Poor Road Conditions

For automobile accidents caused by poor road conditions, drivers may wonder what options they have for securing compensation. If a local government agency or municipality is responsible for your accident, the process of filing a lawsuit to recover your damages is much more complex. Consult a personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale as soon as possible because the statute of limitations for filing claims in the state of Florida is 4 years. Additionally, the process of filing a claim against the government involves meeting various strict filing requirements, and failing to meet these guidelines could have your claim thrown out.

Kelley | Uustal is made up of the best car accident attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, give us a call today to get the help you need and deserve (954) 522-6601 We are available 24/7

Recent Client Review:

“Tremendous experience. Never had a question unanswered, never had a phone call unanswered. Felt like part of the family. I would highly recommend Kelley | Uustal to any friend or relative.” -Nancy